Remarkably, the rat is observed attempting to resuscitate its unconscious cage mate by pulling its tongue and clearing the airway. In studies, researchers found that certain rodents, when interacting with anesthetized mice, exhibited caring behaviors such as pawing, grooming, and biting unresponsive individuals. This discovery indicates that empathetic behavior may be more prevalent in the animal kingdom than previously thought.
How high can you shoot?
Claryana Araújo-Wang/Botos do Cerrado Research Project/CetAsia Research Group
The male Amazon river dolphin (Inia geofrensis) was caught on camera urinating while rolling onto its back. This behavior is thought to communicate with other dolphins, similar to how land mammals employ scent marking. Other males might be drawn to the urine that falls into the water, interpreting it as a message.
Stay away!
David Ongley
This beautiful wren can be seen perched cautiously on a branch (Marlus cyaneus), evading the cuckoo—a notorious brood parasite. Scientists have discovered that over 20 bird species utilize similar “call” calls to alert nearby birds, as cuckoos secretly lay their eggs in other birds’ nests to shirk their parenting responsibilities.
Ali tries origami
Dr Chris Reid, Macquarie University
The weaving ant (Oecophila smaragdina) is depicted rolling up a piece of lined paper, using teamwork to lock it together in a long chain. Each ant grasps the abdomen of the ant in front, enabling the construction of nests from rolled leaves. Studies show that individual ants can pull nearly 60 times their body weight, while teams of 15 can generate forces exceeding 100 times their combined weight.
Never seen before
ROV Subastian/Schmidt Ocean Institute
For the first time, a living giant squid (Mesonihoteutis hamiltonii) was captured on film. While these mollusks are believed to grow up to 7 meters, the squid filmed was just a baby measuring 30 centimeters. This rare footage was obtained by a vessel from the Schmidt Ocean Institute while streaming live from the depths of the Southern Ocean near the South Sandwich Islands.
That’s my arm!
Sumire Kawashima, Yuzuru Ikeda/Ryukyu University
This octopus appears fooled into believing that a fake arm made of white gel is its own. While it’s well-known that humans can be tricked in a similar manner, scientists have discovered that octopuses share this intriguing behavior as well.
Like many others, Ursula K. Le Guin is undoubtedly one of my beloved sci-fi authors. I’m thrilled about this month’s compilation of maps that I plan to use as inspiration for my story. Especially after enjoying It Was Confiscated. Join the New Scientist Book Club: Do Do Do Do and Jo, and share your insights on this classic with fellow readers!
This month not only brings back science fiction, but I eagerly anticipate it. Ken Liu will introduce a thriller based in the near future. I’m particularly interested in the tale of flooded Kolkata and the challenges faced by the mother, Megamajumdal. Additionally, there’s a story from astronaut Chris Hadfield and a new offering from author Mark Z. Danielewski, titled Leaf House.
Le Guin will venture into her great stories, promoting the Earthsea series (I recall the archipelago mentioned in those books) and I Always Go Home. This new collection features these maps alongside interviews, poetry, recipes, and contributions from various writers. It seems like a true treasure trove for fans like me of Le Guin.
Set in the not-so-distant future, this sci-fi thriller revolves around hacker Julia, who is tasked with rescuing a “dream artist” while uncovering the mysteries of virtual reality. This is the first in the Julia Z series, which has received the Hugo Award.
Reynolds once wrote fantastic sci-fi short stories for New Scientist. In one, we follow Yuri Gagarin, a private investigator observing a death aboard a spacecraft, weaving a tale through the vastness of space.
I’m not sure how far this fits within the realm of science fiction, but I believe there are many overlaps between sci-fi enthusiasts and those who adore Danielwski’s inventive works, particularly Leaf House. In fact, my colleague Jacob Aron selected it as one of the greatest sci-fi novels ever written. Therefore, I imagine quite a few people, myself included, are eager to hear about Danielewski’s latest novel this month. It ostensibly follows two friends who are trying to escape a massacre in a small town in Utah called Orbop, though I suspect there’s much more to it than that.
This dystopian narrative unfolds in a setting where a mysterious illness has stripped people of their memories, challenging how they interact and live. However, as “fragments of memory” start resurfacing, they threaten the center’s rigid structure, prompting students to question their reality. I love how they occupy their free time, watching old tapes and embodying characters like Chandler and Gunther, Maria and Chino!
Drawing comparisons to The Hunger Games, this story takes place in a dystopian world where individuals are evaluated based on their ability to fit in, centering on a woman caught in a love triangle. It highlights the perils of social and genetic engineering.
In Cold Eternity, a fugitive takes refuge on an abandoned spaceship
roman3dart/Getty Images
This slice of space horror is perfect for the Halloween season. Halley embarks on an adventure after uncovering an interplanetary conspiracy. She takes refuge in the Elysian Field, a drifting space vessel once believed to be a sanctuary by the wealthy until its inhabitants succumbed to death. After being abandoned for over a century, Halley now senses something amiss aboard…
Astronaut Chris Hadfield’s Cold War thriller is set in the 1970s during a space race involving the US, Soviet Union, and China. The narrative follows a new Apollo mission as it ventures into orbit. This marks the third entry in Hadfield’s series, following Apollo Murder and Exile.
This tale strikes me as a must-read. It unfolds in present-day Kolkata, where climate change and food scarcity have led to flooding and hunger. MA teams up with her husband in Michigan, bringing their 2-year-old daughter and elderly father. Just as they prepare to depart, MA realizes her immigration documents have been stolen. What ensues is a frantic one-week search for the thief. Meanwhile, the offender, Bulba, grapples with escalating crimes while trying to provide for his family. As disaster looms, what lengths will each individual go to protect their children?
European grey wolf (Canis Lupus) hunting in the forest
Arndt Sven-Erik / Arterra Picture Library / Alamy
Lucy, whose earliest memories date back to the Covid-19 pandemic, is now striving to restore lost species. Hester was born on the day of the Chernobyl disaster. In the words of Kim Stanley Robinson, this is “enduring” and “unforgettable.”
We receive two stories in one with this doubleheader. The first presents crime-laden narratives set in a futuristic scientific cosmos. Mirrors Red Star Hustle follows the adventures of a high-end escort entangled with a “noble clone of a murderous puppet monarch,” a unique blend that intrigues me. Kowal’s Anxiety also unfolds a tale of a grandmother whose grandchild is tempted into a terrorist group, all while a new planet harbors new challenges and possibilities.
If you enjoy Pride, Prejudice and Zombies, then Zenith (or Nadile) reimagines Jane Austen. This is an inventive remix of Pride and Prejudice and Frankenstein, depicting the lesser-known sister, Mary Bennett, as a brilliant scientist aspiring to revive the dead in search of her husband. But then she meets a remarkable young woman, leading her to reconsider her true desires.
Eta Aquarius Meteor Shower as seen in Sri Lanka in 2024
Thilina Kaluthotage/ Nurphoto/ Getty Images
The Lyrids and ETA Aquarids Meteor showers will soon appear in the night sky. This year, bright lyrids peaked on the nights of April 21st to April 22nd, during the night of May 5th and dawn, and they begin to be visible within a few days of each other in April.
What is Lyrids Meteor Shower?
Lilid is attributed to the fact that fragments from Thatcher’s comet interact with the Earth’s atmosphere, eventually collapse, becoming bright stripes of light found in the night sky. The meteor shower radiation – the place in the night sky where meteors appear to emit – is located in the northern hemisphere constellation Lila, which includes the bright star Vega. People have been finding Lyrid for at least 2700 years. “Lilid is probably the smallest of the major showers.” Margaret Campbell Brown At Western University in Canada. “The rate isn’t as high as most other meteor showers, but sometimes there are a lot of bright meteors.”
When is the Lyrids Meteor Shower?
This year, Lilid will be active from April 17th to April 26th. Their peak activity occurs on the night of April 21st, and is the most visible just before dawn on April 22nd.
How can you increase your chances of seeing Lilid?
Lilids are best seen from the Northern Hemisphere of Earth in the dark moment just before dawn. Meteors usually look like fast stripes of light, and can sometimes create bright flashes. On a typical night, you can see around 5-6 meteors every hour, up to 10-20 meteors at peak times. The constellation Lyra is below the horizon for most viewers in the Southern Hemisphere, but Lilids may still be seen in a more limited number. “We have a little moon this year, but if there are a lot of bright meteors that aren’t that important,” Campbell-Brown says.
What is the ETA Aquarido meteor shower?
The ETA aquarid meteor is a icy rock fragment originally submerged by Halley’s comet, which eventually reaches Earth’s atmosphere and collapses in a fiery nighttime display. The shower radiation is located near Eta Aquarii, one of the brightest stars in the constellation Aquarius. “They are very interesting showers and have produced strong explosions for several years,” Campbell-Brown said. But she says she will probably do more moderate activities this year.
When is the ETA Aquarido meteor shower?
This year, ETA Aquaridos can be seen between April 20th and May 28th. The best viewing times are during the peak period from midnight to dawn on May 5th.
How can you increase your chances of seeing ETA aquarido?
The Southern Hemisphere offers the perfect viewing opportunity for ETA Aquarido. It is also visible in the Northern Hemisphere, but is much lower in the night sky, so the sky watchers there must look towards the horizon to see the meteor. “Shower radiation only rises a few hours before dawn in the Northern Hemisphere. By the time the sky is high, there are only small windows for observers to see the meteors,” says Campbell-Brown. ETA aquaridos can sometimes leave behind a sparkling dust train that appears to be visible for seconds or minutes, she says. It is expected that approximately 10-30 meteors per hour can be seen from the Northern Hemisphere and approximately 30 meteors per hour from the Southern Hemisphere.
Meteor spawning tips from astronomers
Your best bet is to get out of town and find the darkest sky possible, Campbell Brown says. She recommends bringing a star map to help you find the constellations where each meteor shower will occur. You don’t move around much, so wearing warm clothes is also a good idea.
“It’s not important to see where in the sky. If you look at the radiation, you may get a little higher rate. Both of these showers rise in the east, but the sky is dark and clear,” she says.
Keep in mind that some of the meteors you see are not necessarily from the shower of these specific meteors. But for both meteor showers, the best viewing opportunities happen well after the hours of sunset before dawn, says Campbell-Brown.
The Mystery of the Universe: Cheshire, England
Spend a weekend with some of the brightest minds of science. Explore the mystery of the universe in an exciting program that includes an excursion to see the iconic Lovell telescope.
April is watching the release of a new space opera trilogy from Neil Usher
Arami Stock Photo
When the sun comes out, it’s almost warm to read outside here in northeast London. So it’s time to take out the best new science fiction and find a protected place. Whether it’s aging or artificial intelligence, I love the way this genre continues to tackle today’s biggest issues. At the top of my mountain, Lucy Lapinska sees how robots deal with being freed from human governance, and while Nick Halcaway’s latest latest (at a huge price) is looking forward to the set in a world where you stop aging, it will also make you grow very big. And I would like to try Sayaka Murata’s vision of a strange and disturbing future, The world that disappears.
Our Science Fiction Hub is where you can read all the roundups, reviews and interviews with leading science fiction writers.
New novels with interesting sounds from bestselling authors Convenience store woman. Amane lives in a society where children are pregnant through artificial insemination and are raised by parents in a “clean” sexually unsexual marriage. When she and her husband heard about an experimental town where residents are randomly chosen to be artificially inseminated and children are raised collectively and anonymously, they decide to try and live there.
We loved Nick Halcaway’s first titanium noir novel here New ScientistThe world is set in which Megarich can take anti-aging medications, but grow them into a giant, Titanic-proportion. This latest in Halcaway, fresh from continuing his father’s John Le Carré legacy Carla’s Choicehe tells the story of a detective and Titan Cal investigating the murder of a young woman in a devastated holiday town.
This is the first in a new cosmic opera trilogy from Usher, following the story of Captain Bright, who is continuing to kill someone. The mysterious black diamonds left behind him by the “dark AI” keep him alive, but each attempt in his life creates a temporary anomaly. Bright is trying to reveal the true nature of dark diamonds…
For Jamie Pike, Fair Harbor is a city stuck in eternal winter. In the case of Esther Pike, it is stuck in a constant summer. In both versions, intense forces were controlled after the cataclysm and fell apart into a once united city. Jamie and Esther have found a way to communicate across a broken world, but can they solve the mystery that split Fair Harbor?
Highly praised by our sci-fi columnist Emily H. Wilson, this follows the story of Abigail, a robot set during the final days of humanity and embedded in the image of David’s late wife. However, the law is about to change, and soon Abigail can go where she likes and do what she wants. Recently, there have been many interesting and fictional take on robot ethics and freedom, and I am keen to read this “robot liberation” story.
Abigail is a robot about to be released in Lucy Lapinska’s novel
Getty Images/Istockphoto
For me, time travel counts as sci-fi, so I plan to relax in this time travel romance where student Joe dreams of a future where he becomes a famous writer. Meanwhile, ESI (People from the Future) heads out on a time-travel tour to witness the biggest moments in history, including Joe Falls for Diana, the subject of his famous love poem. However (of course!) Fate is disappointed by the arrival of ESI, and she and Joe begin to fall for each other instead…
In this speculative thriller, injections were invented to slow aging. Of course, the super-rich people are ruining things and getting upgrades that further expand human lives. As dangerous side effects of vaccines appear and planets are under threat, populations are skyrocketing…
This sounds like a fun thought experiment. Humanity has dipped to the height of the Handspan, not only has its world a place full of danger, but it has also brought richness. Giles awakens with his new body on a remote coastal road and sets out on a quest to find his loved one.
Ray Naylor is an incredible writer – I loved his previous novels, Sea mountainsand he wrote an article with great comments for me. New Scientist The government argues that speculative fiction should be used to predict the future. In this latest in a horrifying sound, the President of the Authoritarian Federation maintains a grip of power by downloading his mind to a series of new organisations, while Western Europe is plump for AI-driven prime ministers rather than human governance. However, the artificial mind is malfunctioning and disaster is looming.
This story, countering East London’s swamp, is a story that is left out of the corrupt government and is left out of the outsider, and a climate-stricken city goes back three centuries, moving from the next 100 years to save her present.
Arts and Sciences in Writing Science Fiction Courses: England
Explore the world of science fiction and learn how to create your own fascinating science fiction stories in this immersive weekend break. Hosted by New Scientist Comments and Culture Editor Alison Flood, along with author and former new scientist editor Emily H. Wilson.
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